Assessment of Socio‐economic Factors Impacting on the Cropping Intensity of an Irrigation Scheme in Developing Countries

Abstract

An increase of cropping intensity of irrigation schemes is required to address the challenge of global food security. Socio‐economic factors also have a significant impact on the cropping intensity within an irrigated area. This research is focused on understanding the impact of socio‐economic factors on cropping intensity in an irrigation scheme. To assess the socio‐economic factors and cropping intensity, a framework was developed, which we believe can be adopted in other irrigation schemes in developing countries. The framework was applied to an irrigation area in Nepal. An interview checklist and observation techniques were used as the primary data‐gathering method, which followed the concepts articulated in the developed framework. A census survey was also conducted in 72 farmer households. The results showed that farmers' socio‐economic status and their socio‐cultural practices affected cropping intensity. The research also highlighted that mechanization in agricultural practices, coordination between irrigation and agricultural district offices with farmers, market facilities for agricultural inputs and agricultural products, and land tenancy agreements all significantly influenced agricultural intensification. Based on the findings of this research, an approach to intensify cropping intensity by farm owners and farming tenants has been developed, which can be applied in irrigated areas in the developing world. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impacts of climate change on the flow of the transboundary Koshi River, with implications for local irrigation

“…Although irrigation water availability is necessary for increased crop areas, other agricultural provisions such as fertilizers, proper market mechanisms, and agricultural support to farmers are also required. Research on irrigation schemes in Nepal finds that farmers are motivated to increase crop area if they have enough water for irrigation, proper market facilities, farm-level training, and some subsidies (Kaini et al, 2020a). And because the Koshi is a transboundary river, irrigation crop area could also be developed in India, where water from the Koshi barrage, around 40 km downstream of Chatara, is irrigating 1,000,000 hectares of agricultural land (Upadhyay, 2012).…”

Impact of climate change on water resources and crop yield in the Middle Egypt region

“…Income from per unit farmland also depends on the socioeconomic settings of farmers, irrigation water availability, cooperation among stakeholders and land-use tenancy agreements. Kaini et al (2020aKaini et al ( , 2020bKaini et al ( , 2020c) developed a framework to assess socioeconomic factors impacting on the cropping intensity of an irrigation scheme in developing countries. It was applied in the Tarawali irrigation scheme in the western region of Nepal.…”

“…According to the recent Global Adaptation Commission report, the most powerful way to adapt is to invest in early warning services and pay special attention to impact-based forecasts. Kaini et al (2020aKaini et al ( , 2020bKaini et al ( , 2020c studied the limitations of the previous studies on general circulation model (GCM) selection and how to provide new climate insights to the region. They added that the selection of GCMs with high capability to represent the past and likely future climate for a specific geographical location is a crucial step to assess impacts of climate change on different sectors.…”

“…Additionally, the majority of the population lives in close proximity to the Nile River, increasing potential exposure to flood events, with the urban poor particularly exposed and vulnerable (Climate Risk Profile: Egypt 2020). Kaini et al (2020aKaini et al ( , 2020bKaini et al ( , 2020c assessed climate change impacts on the hydrological regime of a river basin and its implications for future irrigation water availability in the Koshi River basin using RCP4.5. The average annual flow in the Koshi River is expected to increase by 15-30% in all three periods.…”

The Natural and Socioeconomic Influences on Land-Use Intensity: Evidence from China

“…Regarding the driving forces of LUI, both natural and socioeconomic factors influence land use [17][18][19][20] and land-use intensity [6,7,21]. For example, agricultural LUI is associated with household class, cropping strategies, environmental constraints, traffic infrastructure, and policies [22][23][24][25].…”